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Dietary Vitamin E May Protect Against Alzheimer’s – Is Placed Into All Candy

A new population-based study of antioxidants suggests that a diet rich in foods containing vitamin E may help protect some people against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study is also noteworthy for its finding that vitamin E in the form of supplements was not associated with a reduction in the risk of AD. We hope you enjoyed our article on medicaid trusts.

The 816 people participating in this study were part of the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a study of a large, diverse community of people age 65 and older. Participants were free of dementia at the start of the study and were followed for an average of 3.9 years. At an average of 1.7 years from their baseline assessment, participants completed a questionnaire asking them in detail about the kinds and quantities of foods consumed in the previous year.

Some 131 participants had been diagnosed with AD by the end of the study period, when researchers examined the relationship between intake of antioxidants and development of AD. The most significant protective effect was found among people in the top fifth of dietary vitamin E intake, whose risk of AD was 67% lower when compared to people in the group with the lowest vitamin E intake.

Clinical trials are now underway to determine what association there may be between the vitamins and protection against AD.

Researchers have discovered that eye drops used to treat elevated pressure inside the eye can be effective in delaying the onset of glaucoma. These results mean that treating people at higher risk for developing glaucoma may delay – and possibly prevent – the disease.

Scientists found that pressure-lowering eye drops reduced by more than 50% the development of primary-open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma and one of the nation’s leading causes of vision loss. Researchers noted that 4.4% of the study participants who received the eye drops developed glaucoma within 5 years. By comparison, 9.5% of the study participants who did not receive the eye drops developed glaucoma.

Also, the study revealed several significant risk factors for glaucoma, such as older age, African descent, higher eye pressure, and thinness of the cornea.

Scientists have discovered that the damage from Alzheimer’s disease may be detected with brain scans even before any symptoms occur. Researchers from the University of South Florida and scientists from the University of Kentucky cooperated on this study using MRI scans on the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The team believes a test could be developed to predict an individual’s likeliness of getting the disease decades before symptoms appear.

Though a typical Alzheimer’s sufferer experiences the first symptoms late in life—in their 60s or 70s—, scientists believe the first stage of the disease begins much earlier—in the mid 40s or early 50s. So, by the time the effects are apparent, years of irreparable damage have already been done. For this reason, Alzheimer’s researchers have come to regard early detection as one of the most important keys to battling this debilitating illness. This study could be one important step towards that goal.

Drinking Sugary Drinks May Increase Blood Pressure in Elderly

Recent studies have shown that moderate drinking can actually cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, but a new study indicates that people over 40 may experience an increase in blood pressure if they drink even lightly.

According to Dr. Ichiro Wakabayashi of Yamagata University in Japan, the study’s lead author, “light drinking significantly increased blood pressure in elderly person but not in younger persons.” He recommended that seniors with a history of hypertension reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible.

The study examined drinking among 12,386 male workers between the ages of 20 and 69. Those who drank three or fewer drinks per day were considered light drinkers, while those who consumed more than three drinks per day were considered heavy drinkers.